How quick could Lakewood put together a shoreline drive?

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
I see this morning that President Obama is going to propose a MASSIVE road program to stimulate our economy. Well, I would love to see Lakewood get a piece of that funding. Wouldn't you?

I wish the City would propose a highway on a breakwater/land (not a bridge) about 1 quarter mile off our shore. There could be 3 points of access W117, Peninsula at Lakewood Park and Peninsula at Webb. It could be wide enough for a row of shops/restaurants and bike trail. We could have the marina north of the road at the Park access point.

With this structure in place we could create a beautiful beach similar to Mentor headlands and work to create a grassy slope all along the shoreline where we now have a shale cliff.

Please, someone get Lakewood some of these dollars! Don't wait on our corrupt County to spoon feed us. We have seen that Lakewood is low on their list.

[Corey Rossen]

A: Faster than the Browns could put on a Goal Line Drive.
Corey

[Vince Frantz]

I just came back from a full labor day weekend spent along Lakeshore drive in Chicago. I lived in Chicago in the mid nineties and things along the lake have changed immensely since then.

Some stuff we did on Lakeshore Drive:

Navy Pier all day. enough said.
Wilson Skate Park (one of two Lakeshore drive skateparks)
Montrose Beach - plenty of room for everyone since there are many beach options now.
Bird-watching in a mini wildlife preserve which ended up turning into camera watching as many photographers were out to capture some of the native fauna.

It was a painful reminder of how screwed up our region has handled the lakefront. But it was an inspiring example of how much can change in 10 years or so. Even Meigs Airport was bulldozed. Would we trade the airshow to have one contiguous lakefront recreation and park access from Rocky River to MLK drive?

[Bob Mehosky]

I just came back from a full labor day weekend spent along Lakeshore drive in Chicago. I lived in Chicago in the mid nineties and things along the lake have changed immensely since then.

Some stuff we did on Lakeshore Drive:

Navy Pier all day. enough said.
Wilson Skate Park (one of two Lakeshore drive skateparks)
Montrose Beach - plenty of room for everyone since there are many beach options now.
Bird-watching in a mini wildlife preserve which ended up turning into camera watching as many photographers were out to capture some of the native fauna.

It was a painful reminder of how screwed up our region has handled the lakefront. But it was an inspiring example of how much can change in 10 years or so. Even Meigs Airport was bulldozed. Would we trade the airshow to have one contiguous lakefront recreation and park access from Rocky River to MLK drive?

You might want to also consider the differences in geography between Chicago and Cleveland.

And as a pilot, don't get me going about what happened to Meigs.

[Vince Frantz]

I moved back to Ohio in 1998. But I heard Daley bulldozed the fields secretly.

Geography-wise - what is a more proper comparison for lakefront usage for Cleveland?

[Stan Austin]

Vince--- I'm gonna pull a generational whammy on you.

I agree with your assertion that our lake front does not meet its potential; certainly as compared to other city's lake fronts.

However, the time frame for change is 5, 10 maybe more years.

Today, we are voting on candidates who will stand for election to the new County Government. That is arguably the vehicle to achieve the transformation that you suggest.

Take it Vince--- you and the rest of your cohort. Me, O'B and the rest will let our feet dangle in the waters off of Huntington while listening to the Beach Boys on our transistor radios.

You guys, it's up to you to get into the new government and kick this thing in the butt (where, admittedly, we haven't).

You and your friends got a skate park built. Make it bigger and do it for the lake front.

(he,he-- we'll still listen to the Beach Boys and dream of "no surfing in Cleveland")

Stan

[Vince Frantz]

Stan - as much as I love Lakewood Skatepark I told Ed FitzGerald during our 3 hour face to face meeting in his office before the Council/Media showdown of 2004 that this was only the first skatepark and that it was critical that to go up by the lake - that Lakewood would lead with this and it was only the beginning.

For now - we can work on the banks of the Cuyahoga right off the lake:

http://publicsquaregroup.org/cleveland-skatepark

and

http://www.clevelandrows.org/rivergate_park.php

The issues facing our quality of life are not about where we sleep at night or where we draw our paycheck from. They stem from our lack of ways to actually LIVE.

Seems like most of our region is wrapped up in a residential vs commercial tug of war. Very few groups or governments are focused on providing places for people to do their LIVING. Downtown is strictly about consuming. There are no playgrounds in Public Square. No basketball courts anywhere near the Q. Living and feeling alive is something you do away from home or work and does not require box seats or a reservation at a restaurant. It is the in between "free" activities that form connections with a place.

I know that Ed FitzGerald and Chris Ronayne understand this. I hope they can open the door for these changes to propagate.

[Stan Austin]

Vince--sounds like you're a half a step ahead already.

Keep at it

[Dave Mechenbier]

I can envision an access point at W 117, but where is Peninsula at Lakewood Park and Peninsula at Webb?

[Bob Mehosky]

I moved back to Ohio in 1998. But I heard Daley bulldozed the fields secretly.

Geography-wise - what is a more proper comparison for lakefront usage for Cleveland?

He did, in the middle of the night. With planes still on the field. In direct violation of an FAA order.

The problem (or opportunity, depending how you look at it) with Cleveland is that we don't have very many areas that are at lake level. We've got a 75 foot high bluff keeping us from the lake in most parts. Where we do have access, we've got railroad tracks and landfill. Extending the top of the bluff to the lake, covering the railroad tracks or building out into the lake wouldn't be an engineering project for the faint of heart.

But if we're talking pie in the sky ideas, here's mine. Sell Lakewood Park.

31 acres of prime lakefront land. I could see a developer drooling over the possibility of turning that area into something akin to East 4th, Crocker Park, Georgetown. Shops, restaurants, outdoor patios, greenspace. A true city center. A destination.

With the money you get from selling the park, buy up some of the old, dilapidated or unused properties around town and redevelop them. What about baseball fields where the old Giant Eagle is? Perhaps an true urban dog park where St. James is (I know, I know, it's historic). Find ways to take what's disjointed and pull it together to get a critical mass of excitement and interest.

If Lakewood is going to survive and thrive, we might be best served by changing our thought process from what Lakewood was, to what Lakewood could be.

Just some food for thought.

[Meg Ostrowski]

Geography-wise - what is a more proper comparison for lakefront usage for Cleveland?

Milwaukee?

We were there this summer and really enjoyed spending time downtown, on the river and at the lakefront.

[sharon kinsella]

Vince - Go for it. You and your peers are the future for this city. You're a can do guy, do it.

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
Obama's federal dollars are going to be fast tracked to be spent quickly to help the economy. We can not wait for the County to do this. Maybe someone that would like to be a key player in the county could do it now to show everyone he's serious about bringing jobs to the area.

I would love to see the shore line drive connected to more than Lakewood, but my main interest is Lakewood. Do this for Lakewood and then the others can attach when they get to it.

We have 3 exits off of 90. W117th, Warren and McKinley. Straight down W117th and Warren are just a block away from the lake. W117th ends at Edgewater but a 2 lane road could fit through to the lake. Warren ends at Clifton but it could run through to the lake (or we have a zig zag). Webb ends right at the lake, and from McKinley you can route over to riverside and north to Clifton with a one block zig zag to Webb.

Chicago may not have a cliff like we do but just north is Lake Forest. They did have a totally unusable shore line until they decided to change it. Now, they have a great beach and marina. We can take our shoreline and make it usable, but we have to implement change to do it. Here is a second chance to have the federal government pay for it. Wake Up LakewooD! Get this done while we can.

[Betsy Voinovich]

Geography-wise - what is a more proper comparison for lakefront usage for Cleveland?

Milwaukee?

We were there this summer and really enjoyed spending time downtown, on the river and at the lakefront.

Hey Meg,

What's so great about Milwaukee? I never hear anybody talking about it. First I thought you were talking about where Paul Westerberg lives-- pretty cool-- and then I realized that that's Minneapolis-- and that Paul Westerberg doesn't have a lot to do with lakefront usage as far as I know.

Is there anything in Milwaukee we can apply to Lakewood? Which lake is that?

Thanks in advance for the geography lesson. I know there's this internet thing I can use but I'm too tired to check it out.

Thanks.

Betsy

[Meg Ostrowski]

Betsy,

Milwaukee is located north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. The Milwaukee Art Museum, like our own Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is an architectural icon on the lakefront. The Milwaukee River cuts through downtown serving as a cruise route and is lined on both sides by a "riverwalk" complete with a sculptural tribute to hometown celebrity Henry Winkler, known as "The Bronz Fonz." Downtown is surrounded by ethnic neighborhoods and art districts. The first northern suburb, Shorewood, has its own beach and promotes its housing stock, walkable lifestyle, cool shops and restaurants and proximity to downtown.

Sound familiar?

The one comparable thing that is missing is a system of enclosed walkways to make life near the lake more bearable during the extreme months. I'd love to see a human habitrail (for walkers and bikers) that connects downtown to Edgewater...while letting the views and sun shine in.